UW-Madison researchers continue to study Zika in rhesus macaque monkeys. Since February, they’ve infected 11 monkeys with the virus to examine three questions: how long Zika persists in blood, urine and saliva; if infection protects against future exposure; and whether the stage of pregnancy in which infection occurs impacts the effects on offspring.The bodies of nine non-pregnant monkeys have gotten rid of the virus in an average of about 10 days, said David O’Connor, a UW-Madison pathology professor who is part of the research team. But two pregnant monkeys infected in the first trimester have retained the virus so far for two weeks and more than a month, O’Connor said.
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